Lesson 1 · 5-minute read

Your First Conversation

This guide walks you through asking your first question, starting new conversations, and finding your past ones. That's everything you need to get started.

In this lesson, you'll send your first message to the AI and see it respond. By the end, you'll know your way around the screen.

What You're Looking At

When you log in, you'll see a screen like the one below. Here's what the main areas are for:

The Open WebUI interface showing the sidebar on the left, chat area in the centre, message box at the bottom, and model selector at the top
  • Left side — Your past conversations and, for some users, the Workspace area live here.
  • Centre — This is where the AI responds to you.
  • Bottom — This is where you type your questions and requests.
  • Top left — This shows which AI assistant you're using and lets you switch assistants.
Before you start Nothing you do here can break anything. Your conversations are saved automatically, and you can always start fresh. There's no wrong button to press. As with any cloud tool, keep client names and personal details out of your conversations — use roles and general descriptions instead. How we handle your data
1

Ask Your First Question

Let's jump right in. You're going to ask the AI a question and see how it responds.

Where to look: At the very bottom of the screen, you'll see a text box. It might say something like “How can I help you?” inside it.

What to do: Click on that text box and type a question. Try: “What can you help me with?”

How to send it: Press the Enter key on your keyboard, or click the small arrow button next to the text box. Both work the same way.

What happens next: You'll usually see a pulsing circle first, then the AI's response appears in the centre of the screen. Sometimes the text shows up a few words at a time. Both are normal signs that the AI is working.

Typing a question in the message box and seeing the AI respond
You did it! You just asked an AI a question and got an answer. Everything from here builds on what you just learned: type a question, press Enter, read the response.

Now you try. Open the platform and send your first message.

Try it in the platform
What you should see A pulsing circle or a response appearing in the centre of the screen. If nothing happens, make sure you pressed Enter or clicked the arrow button.
2

Start a New Conversation

When you move on to a new topic or task, it's best to start a fresh conversation. This keeps things clear for both you and the AI.

Where to look: At the top of the screen, on the left side, you'll see a button labelled “New Chat”. If the sidebar is open, it's at the very top of the sidebar. If the sidebar is closed, look for a small pen-and-paper icon.

What to do: Click “New Chat”.

What happens next: The screen clears and you're ready to start fresh. Your previous conversation isn't lost — it's saved automatically. You'll learn how to find it in the next step.

Clicking New Chat in the sidebar and seeing a fresh empty screen appear
3

Find Your Past Conversations

Nothing is lost. Every conversation you've had is saved and easy to find.

Where to look: On the left side of your screen, you'll see a list of your past conversations. Each one has a title based on what you talked about, and a time stamp showing when it happened. This panel is called the sidebar.

What to do: Click on any conversation in the list to reopen it. You'll see the full conversation exactly as you left it.

What happens next: The conversation loads in the centre of the screen. You can continue where you left off, or just read back through what was said.

The sidebar showing past conversations, hovering over one and clicking to reopen it
Tip You can rename a conversation to make it easier to find later. Hover over its name in the sidebar and look for a small pencil icon.
Prefer to talk? Look for the microphone icon next to the message box. Click it to dictate your message instead of typing. The AI will transcribe what you say and you can edit it before sending.
4

Show and Hide the Sidebar

Sometimes you want more room to read. You can hide the sidebar to make the chat area wider, and bring it back whenever you need it.

Where to look: At the very top of the screen, on the left side, you'll see a small menu icon. In the current interface it looks like three short vertical lines.

What to do: Click it once. The sidebar slides away and you get the full width of the screen for your conversation.

To bring it back: Click the same button again. The sidebar slides back into view with all your conversations still there.

Clicking the menu button to hide the sidebar, then clicking again to show it

You're Ready

You now know how to have a conversation with an AI, start a new one, find your past conversations, and manage your screen space. That's everything you need to get started.

Good to know Always review AI suggestions before using them in your work. The AI is a helpful starting point, not the final answer.

Ready to try for real?

Open the platform

In the next lesson, you'll learn how to choose different AI assistants for different tasks — like picking which colleague to ask for help.

Next: Lesson 2 — Pick the Right Assistant →